DeMars named interim Chair of Obstetrics/Gynecology at Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock

Leslie R. DeMars, MD

Reindollar assumes new role at American Society for Reproductive Medicine

Lebanon, NH— Leslie R. DeMars, MD, has been named interim Chair of Obstetrics/Gynecology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, replacing Richard H. Reindollar, MD, who had served as chair since 2005.

DeMars, who is currently the division director of gynecologic oncology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Geisel School of Medicine, will serve during the search and transition to a new permanent chair.

Her appointment began on January 1.

"Leslie is a superb doctor and she cares deeply about the academic mission," said Dr. Wiley "Chip" Souba, Vice President for Health Affairs at Dartmouth and Dean of Geisel. "She has decided to take on this new responsibility for all the right reasons—to strengthen our missions of medical education and research, and ensure the success of our students, residents and fellows. I look forward to working with her in the upcoming year."

"I am delighted and grateful that Dr. DeMars has agreed to take on this important assignment. Leslie is nationally respected by her colleagues and highly ranked by her patients," said Dr. James N. Weinstein, President and CEO of Dartmouth-Hitchcock. "She is an outstanding physician and will be a great leader of the department during this interim period."

A 1987 graduate of the University of Vermont’s College of Medicine, Dr. DeMars has been a member of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock staff since 1997, and became division director in gynecologic oncology in 2005. She also is a consulting physician at Elliot Hospital and Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, and Southern New Hampshire Regional Medical Center in Nashua.

Dr. DeMars’ major research interests include chemotherapy of gynecologic malignancies, reproductive and gynecologic function after cancer therapy, and familial cancer.

Dr. Reindollar recently stepped down as department chair to become the new Executive Director of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

"Since becoming chair of OB/GYN in 2005, Rich has been a strong and thoughtful leader who has created a robust department," said Souba. "While we are sad to lose such an excellent scholar, physician, leader, and friend as Rich, we also know that this is an incredible opportunity for him and look forward to his strong leadership on many important national issues at the ASRM."

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ABOUT THE GEISEL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT DARTMOUTH: Founded in 1797, the Geisel School of Medicine strives to improve the lives of the communities it serves through excellence in learning, discovery, and healing. The nation's fourth-oldest medical school, the Geisel School of Medicine has been home to many firsts in medical education, research and practice, including the discovery of the mechanism for how light resets biological clocks, creating the first multispecialty intensive care unit, the first comprehensive examination of U.S. health care variations (The Dartmouth Atlas), and helping establish the first Center for Health Care Delivery Science, which launched in 2010. As one of America's leading medical schools, Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine is committed to training new generations of diverse health care leaders who will help solve our most vexing challenges in health care.

ABOUT DARTMOUTH-HITCHCOCK: Dartmouth-Hitchcock is a national leader in patient-centered health care and building a sustainable health system. Founded in 1893, the system includes New Hampshire’s only Level 1 trauma center and its only air ambulance service, as well as the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, one of only 41 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, the state’s only Children’s Hospital Association-approved, comprehensive, full-service children's hospital. As an academic medical center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock provides access to nearly 1,500 primary care doctors and specialists in almost every area of medicine, as well as world-class research at the Audrey and Theodor Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.